To Be Like Her
by TheEccentricSpeaker
Summary: After other imaginary friends see that Fred is unable to be an imaginary friend anymore, a court ruling turns him human. Fred/Lizzy
1. To Go Back

_Eh, I'm not to sure what to put here. So, yeah, I don't own Drop Dead Fred and Merry Christmas (and whatever else you celebrate) and have a fantastic New Year. _

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"All rise for Judge Laertes!" A stocky bailiff in a lime green suit stood in front of the court, his hands behind his back.

The court rose in respect of the incredibly tall and lanky, purple haired Judge Laertes. "Please be seated," said the judge as he sat down. "We're gathered today to discuss the imaginary friend, Drop Dead Fred. Will the bailiff please bring the accused."

Two identical men pulled Drop Dead Fred into the courtroom, the court gasped at the sight. The man who walked in the court was most defiantly not Drop Dead Fred. This man was but a ghost of the once constantly happy imaginary friend. Deep lines were set in the man's face where a once constant grin always was. The two men sat Fred down in his chair.

The judge was slightly shocked by the change in Fred's features. He cleared his throat, "Drop Dead Fred, over the last year, we have noticed an extreme...change in your behavior." He put on a pair of peculiar, orange glasses. "Your last charge, Natalie Bunce, was going through her parents divorce. A pretty average case, a pretty normal one. It seems, however, that you were a bit...out of touch with your abilities."

"Well he was stuck in a jack-in the-box for twenty one years," said a stocky man in red gym shorts and a cape. "After that long of a time away from children, Drop Dead Fred isn't fit to be an imaginary friend anymore."

A gasp rung out through the court but Fred remained silent, his gaze expressionless. Nothing gave him feeling anymore, not pulling pranks or causing mischief. Ever since he left _her_ nothing was the same.

"I agree with Go to Hell Herman," said a rather round woman in a multi-coloured tutu. "Drop Dead Fred should most defiantly not be an imaginary friend anymore."

Judge Laertes nodded, "Drop Dead Fred, your sentence is to become a mortal human for a complete year." He slammed his gavel down and stood up, "The court is adjourned."

"How long do you think he's going to sit there until he realizes..." Mamby Pampy was cut off by the sound of Fred running out of the court, screaming as he went. For the first time in months, there was feeling within Fred that he could only place as happiness. There was only one person he was after, Elizabeth Cronin, his Snotface.

It was three in the morning, far past time when anyone should be in bed. Lizzy Cronin sighed as she moved through the soaked streets. She groaned as her shoe fell down into yet another puddle. "Damn..." she muttered, attempting to shake her shoe dry. Sighing again, Lizzy shook her head not even caring about the dripping state of her sneaker.

It had been a rather long day, a hard day. In the following day she had gotten fired from her job, broken up with her boyfriend, Mickey, and had gotten into yet another argument with her mother. It was times like this when Lizzy wished_ he_ was still there. "He's gone," she muttered to herself, "he's gone and he's never coming back."

Suddenly strange, splashing noise echoed through the silent street. Lizzy whipped around, her eyes wide.

A tall and wet lanky man in a green suit with manic orange hair pulled himself from the puddle, breathing hard. He stood up, shaking the water from his body.

Lizzy's breath caught in her throat as she cautiously walked toward the man. "Fred?"

Fred looked up, a surprised smile on his face. "Hello Snotface."

Lizzy tackled Fred into a hug, taking in the essence that was Drop Dead Fred. "How-how is this possible?" She said, her hand stroking his cheek, the warmth of his face caused her to smile.

"I'm like you now, boring and human. I-I-I am completely normal..." Fred muttered, tripping over his words. "I..."

"Just kiss me."

Fred pressed his lips to her's, soft and sweetly. He closed his eyes, sighing. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."

Lizzy pressed her lips to his, pulling him closer to her. "I've missed you." She placed a hand on his chest, his heart beating wildly within his chest.

"I've missed you too, Lizzy." Fred pulled her into a tight hug, taking her unique scent of cinnamon and orchids.

"Please tell me you aren't going to leave me again, please!" Tears glistened in Lizzy's eyes, mirroring the way they looked when he first left.

Fred cupped Lizzy's cheek, a smile on his face, "Never again, Snotface, never again."


	2. Sleep

Fred and Lizzy talked for hours as they walked the slowly awakening streets. It made Lizzy smile as bright as a supernova when people would walk past and nod at both of them. _'They really can see him…'_ In the middle of a lecture about making the perfect mud pie disaster, a yawn escaped from Fred's lips. He let go of Lizzy's hand, rubbing his eyes with his fists furiously. A small frown surfaced onto his lips. As an imaginary friend he rarely tired, only sleeping when the act was absolutely necessary. Now, he felt as if he had run a marathon, twice.

Lizzy yawned as well, narrowing her eyes at Fred, "Yawning's contagious ya know."

Fred cocked his head to the side, a look of curiosity on his features. "No, I didn't know that."

She smiled at him again and interlaced their fingers back together, "Come on, we're almost home."

_Home_. The word sounded foreign to Fred. Back when Lizzy was a child she would always call the Cronin Residence a house but never to his knowledge did she call it a home. What caused the location in which they were going to be called home? Fred pondered this as they silently continued on.

Soon, the tall, familiar apartment complex where Lizzy's flat resided came into view. Fred scrunched up his nose, obviously disgusted. "You're still living in that boring place? Yuck!" He then falsely gagged causing pedestrians passing by to eye them strangely. Lizzy smiled at them as if the man next to her was not gagging. "We should throw the Mega-Bitch in there and blow the place up!"

"_Fred_…" Lizzy hissed, "People can hear you know, you can't go around saying you're going to blow a building up!"

"Why not?"

"Because it's illegal!"

Fred smirked at her, "Oh Snotface," he said in a condescending tone, "laws don't apply to us!"

"Yes they do and if you don't want to wind up in jail _alone_ you have to obey them." By this time, the couple were in the small apartment. Sun shone threw the blinds giving the once bland apartment a glow. The walls were now painted in a forest green with bright yellow hand prints. Fred walked over to the wall, touching the dried paint in question. Lizzy smiled, "I took your advice, this place was extremely boring. Natalie helped with the handprints."

Fred grinned, "Ole' Gap and Snotface working together." He then stood back up, swaying slightly.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just not used to being tired." Fred stifled a yawn, rubbing his eyes like a small child. He then collapsed down onto the couch, "Well night, Snotface!"

Lizzy stared down at her sneaker, "C-could you stay with me? I'm still not certain that you're really here."

Fred stood up and smiled at Lizzy warmly, nodding. He followed behind her into her room, sitting on the bed as she began to grab clothes from her closet. She threw him a pair of pinstriped pajama pants, "You can use these if you want." Fred nodded and began to undo the buttons on his shirt. Lizzy jumped around, her cheeks a deep violet. "Uh-I'll-um…" Without even attempting to finish her sentence, Lizzy shuffled toward the bathroom door.

With a satisfied grin, Fred continued to undress and then pulled on the pajama pants. He looked down at his ankles, a frown on his face. The fabric came halfway up his shins making him look a bit funny. _'No better than your suit,'_ his mind taunted. He nodded, "True."

"Who are you talking to?"

Fred turned around and momentarily stopped breathing. For some odd reason, one that Fred couldn't fathom, the sight of Lizzy in a pair of running shorts and a tank top took him by storm. He held his breath as he tried to get his breathing under control. He let his usual, childish snort, "Well _obviously_ not you."

Lizzy smiled and let out a little laugh, "Oh, I've missed you." She wrapped her arms around him and placed her head on his shoulder. Fred closed his eyes, taking in the sent that can only be described as Elizabeth Cronin.

After the two let go of each other, they both laid down on the bed on their sides, looking at one another. Fred placed a hand on hers, wrapping his fingers around hers. "I'll never leave you again." He kissed her hand ever so slightly and then closed his eyes, allowing sleep to finally over take him.


	3. Mickey Troubles

_Dear Lord, I am so sorry that it has taken me this long to update. I honestly feel just plain awful. I am so sorry, dear readers, I'm sure you thought I had abandoned this story. I have just hit such a slump within school, writing, and basically life. Hopefully though, the next chapter will be up within the month. I'm starting on it right now and I hope that this chapter won't be complete crap. Thank you to all my patience followers. _

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It was three in the afternoon when Fred finally woke up. It felt as if sand had lodged in his eyes that refused to allow him to awake. Finally though, Fred awoke with a stretch and a yawn expecting to hit Lizzy. Instead he found a cold, empty space where her body had once occupied. A sudden wave of worry set over Fred as he quickly opened his eyes, surely he hadn't imagined coming back and meeting Lizzy… He sighed in relief when he found himself to be in her room, pictures of her and her friend, Janie. A tingle on his lips caused him to smile as he remembered the feel of Lizzy's lips on his.

"What are you doing here, Mickey?"

"This better not be the Mickey I'm thinking off…" Muttered Fred as he exited the bedroom. Much to his dismay, the lanky form of Mickey Bunce filled his vision. He narrowed his eyes at Mickey, "Well if it isn't Mickey Fartpants himself, fancy seeing you here." Mickey whipped around, confusion evident in his eyes. Sparks exploded in his eyes as Fred kissed Lizzy's cheek. "Morning love."

"Who is _this_?" Mickey's eyebrows knitted together in annoyance as he took in the taller man in front of him wearing _his_ pajama pants. He then moved his gaze to Lizzy, "We've been separated," he looked at his watch, "less than twelve hours and already you've found someone else? We were together for six months, didn't that mean anything to you?"

Lizzy sighed, feeling more annoyed than guilty, "What do you want, Mickey?"

"To fix our relationship!" Mickey grasped Lizzy's hands, a look of desperation in his eyes, "I'm sorry Lizzy, _please_ forgive me!"

Fred narrowed his eyes, wrapping an arm around Lizzy's shoulders. "Isn't it about time you left?"

Mickey glared at Fred, his eyes as cold as steel. "I don't know who you think you…"

"_I'm_ Drop Dead Fred!" he said, with a cocky smile.

Lizzy's eyes widened, absolutely mortified. She shot Fred a look, urging him not to say anymore. If word got to her mother that "Drop Dead Fred" was back, she would be back in that Hell again. "Mickey, he's just…"

Mickey laughed humorlessly, "You know, I thought all this…craziness was over six months ago but," he looked at Fred, "apparently its spread." Before anything else could be said, Mickey left, slamming the door behind him.

Fred smirked in triumph at the closed door, "Well I guess we showed him, eh Snotface?" A small sob answered him. He looked down at Lizzy, concerned, "What's wrong?" A dark thought nibbled at the edge of Fred's mind, what if she wanted Mickey back instead of him? A shiver ran down his spine, he couldn't lose her again.

"It's just…what if he tells my mother?" Fred frowned at her quiet, terrified voice. "I can't have her thinking I'm crazy…again. It was hard enough the first time."

"Yeah, but you didn't have me. Well a _visible_ me." He smiled at her, "Well face the Mega-Bitch together." Fred hugged her shoulders, "You just wait, she'll be trembling in fear in front of us!" Little did they know, they would have to face her sooner than they thought.


End file.
